Every year in September, members of the Jensen family participate in the Annual Memory Walk held in Sioux Falls in conjunction with World Alzheimer’s Month/Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the walk in Sioux Falls had to be cancelled, so the teams were challenged to gather and walk together on their own. 

Michelle (Jensen) Stahl organizes a team every year in memory of her mother, Vicki Jensen, who passed away in 2016 from Lewy Body Dementia, which is a form of Alzheimer’s. This year, Stahl accepted the challenge of gathering her family members to walk on their own in memory of her mother and to show their support for finding treatments to fight the disease. So, on Sunday, Sept. 20, any family that could make it, came to Woonsocket and took a few laps around Lake Prior since the walk in Sioux Falls was cancelled.

According to Stahl, “I am so grateful for the wonderful family I have that continue to support me and fight against this horrible disease. Due to COVID and other events, not everyone was able to make it, but we still had a good turnout and a good time!”

…See a photo in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!

Local employees of the Woonsocket branch of the Dakotaland Federal Credit Union teamed up with some members of the Spirit of Faith youth group to add some color and fun to the Woonsocket School playground and Lake Prior walkway by the school. 

With the fancy work of Casey Hjelm, Dakotaland employee, who created the stencils to use for the words in the project, the youth and adults worked well together to create a colorful and creative sensory game on the Woonsocket Elementary playground. She was helped with painting the project by youth group members Emily Ohlrogge, Trinity and Jeffrey Boschee and London Metzger. Cheyann Johnson, another Dakotaland employee, and Lisa Snedeker, Woonsocket Dakotaland Branch Manager, also helped with the project. 

There was also a sensory path created on the Lake Prior walkway across from the school. The work for that creative project was accomplished by Pastor John Anderson of Spirit of Faith Church in Woonsocket and his family, Taryn, Evan, Emmett and Selah, along with Gabe Boschee and Oscar Anderson. 

…See photos in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!